1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a modular human habitat simulator for use on Earth to provide an environment that approximates, in a controlled test situation, a number of conditions expected to exist when an inflatable modular human habitat is deployed into Earth orbit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Simulators serve the function of providing an environment that approximates, in a test situation, phenomena and/or conditions likely to occur in actual performance of the apparatus being simulated. Naturally, the apparatus being simulated can be based on a counterpart such as cockpit for an aircraft or a spacecraft, or an object that has no counterpart such as a fantasy amusement park ride.
As to amusement rides, these simulators can provide visual presentations and motion as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,903 to Feuer, et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,011 to Feuer, et al. In this application, the simulator can provide the passenger with the feeling of motion such as angular rotation about a roll axis and limited angular rotation about a pitch axis. Further, visual simulation can be incorporated to enhance the effect of movement.
Simulators for aircraft and spacecraft are also well known as typified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,055 to Geiger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,438 to Vykukal, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,030 to Watson. In these applications, effects such as weightlessness and restrictions such as the dimensions of the environment are simulated as close as possible to the actual environment. To further enhance the simulation these simulators typically include instrument readouts to augment the effect of being in an actual aircraft or spacecraft.
Due to the numerous types of aircraft and spacecraft designs, there are a variety of conditions of interest that may be tested by simulators tailored for each individual type of craft. Thus, while it is possible that certain tests can be applied to a multitude of cases, there is no single simulator that can address all the possible environments of the numerous crafts available. Against this backdrop perhaps the greatest variation occurs with regards to the internal dimensions and volume of each potential simulated environment.
Inflatable modular habitats are not new as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,010 to Schneider, et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,189 to Raboin, et al. Inflatable modular human habitats have been proposed as a more cost effective way to deploy a space station. This is primarily driven by two factors.
First, the modular habitat has an inflatable shell and thus does not weigh as much as a structure that has a rigid shell. This is important considering the present high cost for placing an object into space. Currently, this cost is of the order of $10,000.00 per pound to place an object into Earth orbit. As a result, the inflatable modular habitat is less expensive to deploy into orbit.
Second, a rigid shell structure has a volume that is the same on Earth as in space. The modular habitat expands in space and thus offers the opportunity for a larger internal volume while in orbit. This increased volume is desirable to house more crewmembers and equipment.
While inflatable modular habitats are well known, there is a need for an inflatable modular habitat simulator that serves the function of providing an environment that approximates, in a controlled test situation, a number of conditions expected to exist when the module is deployed into Earth orbit or space. Situations can be addressed that concern, for example, the placement of equipment, sleeping quarters, location and testing of life support systems, placement of various cylinders inside and outside of the module, lighting, and location of floor structures. These considerations coupled with others, such as, amount, location, and capacity of gas, liquid and power lines would allow crews and systems engineers to better understand how best to utilize the resources and room within the module long before it is in orbit. What is needed is a simulator that reproduces a variety of conditions in a test environment on Earth, including the internal dimensions and volume of a deployed inflatable modular human habitat, that the habitat is likely to experience in space.